Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 Other Helpful Hints
In addition to stress reduction, fiber seems to have a good effect on IBS symptoms for a lot of people. One problem you might find is that most people associate high-fiber foods with cereal grains and breads, which are also loaded with wheat, one of the foods you want to avoid for a while. Get your fiber from vegetables or limited, gluten-free grains. Some people can tolerate oatmeal even though it has a bit of gluten; you might also try rye. (Flaxseeds can be sprinkled on anything for additional fiber.) Consider fiber supplements like PaleoFiber (found on my website,www. |
| So any kind of stress reduction program is a great thing for those with IBS. Remember that the intestines are like a second brain in that most of the serotonin made in the body is manufactured in the gut. Doesn't it make sense that the bowels would respond with great sensitivity to any emotional situations?
Yoga, acupuncture, and hypnotherapy have all been found to be helpful to people with IBS, with different folks responding differently to the various modalities. |
| Biofeedback, stress reduction, and meditation have been shown to reduce a hormone that stimulates many of the physiological processes that can aggravate or contribute to PCOS. Depression frequently accompanies PCOS, perhaps because good mood is one of the serious casualties of hormone imbalances. Consider meditation or any other stress-reducing technique as well as exercise, which elevates mood, as important natural components of any treatment plan for PCOS. weight. On the other hand, it's also associated with a higher incidence of nausea, vomiting, and other gastrointestinal disturbance. |
| After all, the basics of the Hypertension Institute Program involve a sophisticated vitamin regimen, exercise, weight maintenance, stress reduction, and the DASH diet (more on that in a moment). But several elements of the program stood out, and it's those three elements that form the core of our combo cure for hypertension: the DASH diet, coenzyme Q10, and hydrolyzed whey protein.
The DASH Diet
In 1997, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute funded research on the effects on blood pressure of groups of nutrients as they're found together in foods. |
| Meditation and stress reduction www.drdharma.com
I'm a big fan of the meditation CDs put out by my friend Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., a brain specialist and the author of Meditation as Medicine. You can find his CDs, including "Wake up to Wellness," at this site.
See also Relaxation Response.
Menopausal Issues and Hormones
Books
The Wisdom of Menopause: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing During the Change by Christiane Northrup, M.D.
Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing by Christiane Northrup, M.D. |
Dr. Abram Hoffer, MD, FRCP (C) and Dr. Harold D. Foster, PhD
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 If, in addition to stress reduction techniques, American and other workers were given extra niacin, this financial loss could be enormously reduced. Patients suffering from stress-related anxiety, depression, and chronic fatigue patients are very common. Many of them have sub-clinical pellagra and would, therefore, respond much better to vitamin B-3 than to the anti-depressants commonly prescribed.
General Adaptation Syndrome
Dr Hans Selye identified stress as a threat to the well-being of any organism.2'3 This threat can be psychological or physical or both. |
Bottom Line Health
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| Anyone who does not have neurological impairment can sharpen mental skills by following a four-pronged strategy of memory training, stress reduction, physical conditioning and a brain-friendly diet.
WORK YOUR BRAIN
Scientists who tracked two groups of people discovered that those in the mentally active group—who played board games, read, did puzzles, etc.—had a 63% lower risk of developing dementia compared with the group that rarely exercised their brains.
Other studies have shown that any mental activity—work or play—is associated with better brain health. |
Anne Harrington
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 Kabat-Zinn called his program a course in "stress reduction," but not because he believed that mindfulness meditation was a device for turning off the stress response in the way Benson had claimed TM did. In fact, Kabat-Zinn and his staff liked to joke about how "stressful" it could be to go through their demanding eight-week course. |
Tom Bohager
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 Mild hypertension may respond to weight or stress reduction, but more severe forms may require additional lifestyle changes and possibly treatment with prescription medications. For most people, treatment should include exercise. Regular activity has a number of proven, positive health effects, especially on heart health. Vigorous exercise strengthens the heart as a pump, making it a larger, more efficient muscle. Even moderate activity can boost HDL "good" cholesterol, aid the circulatory system, and lower blood pressure and blood fats. |
Steven V. Joyal
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 When researchers in Stockholm compared cognitive-behavioral therapy with yoga in volunteers during a four-month period, they found that all the participants experienced similar improvements in blood pressure, heart rate, quality of life, and stress reduction, which means either approach may help you in your stress-reduction efforts.
One review brought together the results of seventy studies that looked at the effects of yoga on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD risk associated with insulin resistance. |
David Winston, RH(AHG), and Steven Maimes
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 On the other hand, many chronic diseases such as autoimmune diseases, arthritis, migraines, and irritable bowel syndrome often are resistant to standard medical treatment, and many sufferers may find greater relief through the use of herbs, changes in diet, physical exercise, and stress reduction techniques.
Both ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine teach that the free flow of energy {prana, qi) maintains health and helps to heal disease. |
Dawson Church
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 But when they are all tapped or rubbed in turn, the stress reduction effect is amplified. Energy Psychology takes these acupoints out of the realm of unconscious self-interventions and systematizes the conscious use of these points into an organized stress-reduction routine. Once memorized, the routine can be used for reducing or eliminating stress whenever it occurs, and even for releasing stress that has long been buried in your muscles or your subconscious mind. |
Gary Null and Amy McDonald
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 When we think of the brain, we must think of lifestyle because there are things that we can do—exercise, nutrition, supplements, stress reduction, hormone replacement therapy. Don't forget the glands in the brain—the hypothalamus, pituitary, the pineal glands, so important for creating a healing environment in the body so we can regenerate ourselves, have more energy and vitality, even as we get older, rather than going in a spiral of degeneration and waiting for Big Brother to say, 'Hey, take this protease inhibitor. |
Herbert Ross, DC with Keri Brenner, L.Ac.
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 A physiological shift can be observed in a hypnotic state, as can greater control of autonomic nervous system functions normally considered beyond one's ability to control. stress reduction is a common occurrence, as is a lowering of blood pressure. Hypnotherapy can be a key to switching off insomnia because it provides a way to contact the deeper, unconscious self, let go of old anxiety patterns, and create healthy lifestyle changes in their place.
Hypnosis works by accessing the unconscious mind and training it to react in a positive way, such as inducing an immediate sense of relaxation. |
| In addition, we taught her breathing techniques, self-hypnosis, and acupressure as stress reduction tools to help her sleep. After three weeks on this program, Laurie began to sleep through the night, and she continues to do well. She was not able to change her profession, so every month she repeats the liver detoxification. That, along with the adjustments she's made in her lifestyle, keeps her sleeping soundly.
Let's take a look at some of the main ways that toxic conditions in the body can interfere with sleep. |
| Massage
Massage is used for general well-being, stress reduction, resolution of embedded emotional issues or psychological problems, recovery from sports injuries or muscle soreness, or as an adjunct therapy for various medical conditions. In recent decades, an overwhelming amount of scientific evidence has accumulated in support of the claim that massage therapy is beneficial.11 According to John Yates, Ph.D. |
| The primary keys are proper diet and nutrition, detoxification, stress reduction, and a healthy environment conducive to sleep. Diet and nutrition can have a significant impact on sleep, and special care should be taken to avoid substances that might overly stimulate the brain. Vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other natural supplements, particularly melatonin, can provide effective relief without the side effects of conventional drugs. |
Tom Bohager
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| Recommendations for treating gastritis include stress reduction, dietary-changes, specific treatment for the underlying cause, and enzymes and nutritional support to soothe the stomach and gastrointestinal tract and to enhance digestion and absorption. |
Marshall Editions
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 Maintaining good nutrition and general health, and taking anti-inflammatory supplements, can help to improve the condition at times by maximizing your immune status. stress reduction and meditation techniques can also be helpful.
Medication: Prochlorperazine at a dose of 5-10 mg four times a day, or promethazine at a dose of 25 mg every six hours, may be prescribed. Meclozine and scopolamine patches are also used. Diazepam at a dose of 10 mg is prescribed for acute attacks. These treatments work for about 90% of patients; surgery is an option for those who do not respond to any of the above. |
Herbert Ross, DC with Keri Brenner, L.Ac.
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| Stress Reduction Clinic and Center for Mindfulness Programs at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. The clinic's programs teach people how to meditate, reduce stress, and use other mind-body techniques to heal themselves. In one experiment at the clinic, 22 patients suffering from panic attacks and anxiety went through an eight-week course in mindfulness meditation. When the course ended, 20 of them felt significantly less depressed and anxious. In other studies at the clinic, patients with chronic pain reported a 50% reduction in their suffering after learning how to meditate. |
Ron Garner
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 They are mostly taught for the benefit of increasing energy flow in the body, and achieving and maintaining good health and a youthful appearance through stress reduction and exercise. Body movements, coordinated with breathing, enhance energy to such an extent that one can actually feel it, at first in the hands, and then throughout the body, as a gentle electric current or tingling magnetism. Even beginners can feel these sensations in their bodies quite easily.
Qigong teachers explain that, besides taking in oxygen, we are also collecting life force, or Qi, to store in the body. |
J. Douglas Bremner
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 Exercise by moderate walking for thirty minutes three times a week. Try stress reduction or meditation. Stop smoking. Do not drink alcohol in excessive amounts.
If these changes fail to lower your blood pressure, you may need medication. Start out with the standard and least-expensive treatment: diuretics. Based on the research I outlined earlier, they work better than the newer drugs, and they have fewer side effects overall than the newer medications. This is especially true if you are African American. |
| Other methods like mindfulness-based stress reduction reduce anxiety and stress and probably are effective in reducing high blood pressure.
Exercise can also go a long way toward reducing blood pressure.29 Research studies show that regular exercise lowers blood pressure in 75% of people with hypertension, with reductions of 11 mm Hg in systolic pressure and 8 mm Hg in diastolic pressure. These figures are clinically significant, as demonstrated by a 25% reduction in heart attacks because of reductions in blood pressure. Aerobic exercise is better for blood pressure than resistance exercise. |
Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
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 In a study of men who refused prostate surgery, one group of men only did watchful waiting (which is having a doc observe a patient but not intervene unless it's requested), while the other group went on an aggressive plant-based diet and stress reduction program. Their diet was low in fat and rich in selenium, lycopene (found in tomatoes), and vitamin E. The outcome: The latter group reduced their PSA levels by 40 percent, and none went on to surgery in a two-year period. Many in the control group required an operation, and their PSA levels remained elevated. |
Herbert Ross, DC with Keri Brenner, L.Ac.
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| You will learn how to correct hormonal imbalances through traditional Chinese medicine, diet, lifestyle modifications, and stress reduction.
Step 7: Correct structural imbalances.
In chapter 9, Correct Structural Imbalances, you will learn how physical disharmonies in your body can rob you
Use feng shui to restore harmony to your bedroom. of sleep. We discuss the therapeutic effects of regular exercise and explore of how gentle forms of exercise such as qigong and yoga can be especially effective for reducing stress and restoring deep sleep. |
Jack Challem
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 When she was told that the ideal solution was better eating habits, a little more physical activity, and stress reduction, she shook her head and said that stress was just part of her life.
Laurie was referred to both a counselor to address her stress-packed lifestyle and a nutritionist to provide explicit guidance on improving her eating habits. The counselor quickly realized that Laurie had no personal boundaries when it came to work or her teenage boys. She immediately responded to every request and demand made of her. |
Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
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| At the end of a long career awaits the ultimate stress reduction plan: retirement. Sure, there's some appeal to sleeping in, taking aquatic therapy classes, and becoming the over-sixty-five county shuffleboard champion. But retirement may not be the mental hammock that everyone expects it to be. Take three parts of the world where people have a greater chance of living to one hundred: Sardinia, Okinawa, and Costa Rica. In each of those areas, people have found ways to cope with stress. |
Marshall Editions
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| Increase blood flow: Stress is a contributory factor to Raynaud's disease, so stress reduction techniques are very important. Some techniques actually involve learning to increase the blood flow to the hands. Anything that causes spasm of the blood vessels, such as nicotine, cold medicines, diet pills, and ephedra should be avoided. Certain herbal therapies, especially ginkgo, can also increase blood flow. Avoiding smoking is particularly important if you have Raynaud's disease.
Medication: Calcium channel blockers, usually nifedipine, are used to treat Raynaud's disease. |
by Michael Murray, N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D.
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| Stress reduction techniques, such as biofeedback, autogenics, meditation, yoga, hypnosis, and progressive muscle relaxation may offer some benefit in lowering blood pressure without the use of drugs. But even more importantly, regular aerobic exercise is extremely important to cardiovascular health.
The most effective natural products to lower blood pressure are anti-ACE peptides—purified mixtures of small peptides (proteins) derived from muscle of the fish bonito (a member of the tuna family) or sardines. |
Michael Friedman, ND
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 As stress can potentiate melatonin secretion, stress reduction and management of stress are important to the improvement of SAD.92
Clinical Nutrition
Cravings for sweets and other high glycemic foods are common with SAD, but these foods should be avoided. Although these simple carbohydrates may lift the mood temporarily, their consumption is often followed by a blood sugar drop (hypoglycemia), which puts extra strain on the adrenal glands. In addition, weight gained as a result can aggravate SAD. |
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